Chidon Finalists Arrive in Crown Heights

Driving up Kingston this morning you can’t miss the warm welcome, a beautiful Bruchim Habaim to the 116 girl finalists that have come in from around the world for the Chidon Sefer Hamitzvos.

The time for the grand Chidon Shabbaton has arrived. Flights have arrived from around the world and cars and vans have pulled up from across the country. The excitement has been building for months, and now the excitement is electric.

Registration started at the Jewish children’s museum, where the Girls said Pessukim and wrote their Panim, and are now on their way to the Ohel.

“I’m excited to be here,” says Mushky Goldberg who flew in from Cheder Lubavitch Minnesota. “It’s scary though, too, because I’m representing my base—I want to make my teachers and classmates proud.” 116 finalists will compete for the gold, silver, or bronze medal, earned based on their final test scores.

“We are extremely proud of yaldei Hashluchim Srara Fajnland from Verginia and Chana Glazman from Riga Latvia”, says rabbi Mendy Shanowitz of MyShliach. “Living in remote cities around the world, these students have dedicated their time for the past six months to learning for the Chidon. We couldn’t be more proud to finally welcome them to Crown Heights.”

“There is no need to elaborate on how much it means to the Rebbe that every man, woman, and child study the daily portion of Rambam.” saidRabbi Moshe Kotlarsky, vice chairman of Merkos. “Our goal is for every child to have a clear understanding of all 613 mitzvos of the Torah as codified by the Rambam, so that for the rest of their lives, when they study the daily shiur, they will be able to comprehend it properly.”

After months of learning and taking tests, it looks like that goal has been achieved. “The chidon has pushed even the brightest of our children to go beyond their comfort zones,” says Rabbi Yerachmiel Benjaminson Executive director of Tzivos Hashem.